A Short Messages Service (SMS) from Safaricom providing instruction for consumers in relation to their dealings with three former banks and the need to engage the country’s Deposit Protection Fund Board (DPFB), has reportedly irked subscribers.

The SMS is said to have caused widespread concern amongst subscribers who have complained that the mobile operator could easily have shared details and its database with external parties – given that many received the text simultaneously.

Consumer-focused organisations like the Consumer Federation of Kenya also expressed concern.

However a report by CIO East Africa claims that social media has been used to clarify the situation and the response has been that the SMS was “a public awareness message and not a subscription.”

The publication added that in a statement issued by Safaricom, the Company said, “The SMS Broadcast originates from Safaricom and therefore no customer data has been shared with any external party.,”

Safaricom is also reported to have claimed that it was authorised by the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) in the public’s interest to send the SMS to its subscriber base.